Metallic letter-case.



A. W. L.'HARTBAUER,& L. O. SPARKS.v

I METALLIC LETTER CASE.

APILIUATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1912.

1 7 0 Patented Nov. '11; 1913.

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COLUMBIA} PLANOORAPH $0.. WASHlNu'mN. D. C.

A. W; L. HARTBAUER & L. G. SPARKS.

METALLIC LETTER CASE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1912.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

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TED STATES PATENT ()FFICE iiUcUsT w. L. HARrBnoEn; OFQGHWND I Sim-ans, oiism. toms,

- MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS ToAMEaIoe i can a roonnav COMEAN'Y, or sm; LOUIS, 'MISSOURI, ACORPOBATION OFNEW JERSEY; 1- a METALLIC LETTER-CASE;

ToaZZ whom it may a V Be it known that we, AUe sT W. L. HA T;

BAUER and. LEVI C. SPARKS," citizens of the;

United States, and residents, respectively,. 1

of the city of Chicago, State-of Illinois, and: of the city of St. Louis,=State of MlSSOLllfl have invented certain new and useful lime provements in Metallic Letter-C'ases, oi

which the following is a full, clear, and eX-.-

act description, such as will I enable others skilled in the .art to which itappertains to; make and to use the same, referencebeingg had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of theinvene tion, though it is to be understood that the; invention is not limited to the exact details .of construction shown and described, as it is. obvious, that various modifications, there-.

' ofiwillvoccur topersonsskilled inthe art,

In said drawings Figure llis a front; elevation of'aportion of a case-showing a; physical embodiment of a preferred form of our invention.

planeindicated by the line f2-.2 ,of'Fig. 1,

looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 3 isa vertical transverse sectional view taken} 4 on a plane indicated by the line 3'3 of Fig.

V .1 a pivoting stud, Fig. 'coacting retain: 1 ing collar. Figs. 6 and together 1l1 u strate a second-inodifiedform of constructlon o a po tion 0t afor chasi g-embody ng 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Figq l is aside andend View ofi and Figs; 8, and 9 illustratea third form. Fig. 6 isafragmentary'front elevationalyiew Q a modified form a of spindle holding fimeans,

:1' showingthe third modified fo'rm, and

and Fig, Tjisa sectional viewinplan looking down upo-n the' same and taken on the. line 77 .of. Fig.5. Fig., '8 is' avie wfsimilar to -Fig. 9 is a horizonta1- 1an yiew oi hesame vtakenon the line 9-0f1liig. 8 lookingin the direction ofthearrovv; i

' Ourinyentio-n relate sflto 1 metallic letter case particularly adapted foruse in the Tallroad mail service and a l-Object of 01m c .veiition to provide a device of .the above indicated character of relatively thin sheets ihfirp i n s?- e-mu ual iibra sd ne a-v clf metal; so. ions m te arr ng that Fig. 2 is horizontah- I cross'section oi? the same and taken on forced, and in Whichthe casing is made'up of a mlnimuin number; of; parts which are preferably standardized, It is a further object of our-invention to. provide in a:device of the above indicated character, alabel holder, which may bereadily mounted or dismounted in the cases, and

compartments. are formed; forthereception of mail matter, and as shown. in the drawing, these compartments are formed by a rear wall which may be the car side, extending forwardly front which are a series of spaced apart vertical partitions disposed lhetween which partitions are vertically spaced horizontally disposed. bottoms or decks, forming a series of vertically dis-'- posed compartments. Ihe vertical compartof the car, and but one of these compart- .ments will be described in detail, it being understood that this; description will apply with obvious mechanical changes to all of the compartments. Referring to the drawings it will .be noted that there is a vertically disposed rearwall 10, preferably of relatively small gage sheet wardly from the: rear wall lO, and fastened thereto; by means of rivets 11, passing x nd fr m e-fr nt members th f r rmay be o any other, le irediiheigh and extend forwardly a distance edual to-the'de 1 Specification af'Lette-rs Batent. P3tentedN 11: 1913 Application filed Septemherl7, 191g. 5 1

. ments are duplicated throughout the length .;;metal, but which especially in steel cans may v be the sidewall of the same. Extending'ford'den of t e mi a tmen (In Q de' e f i e he fr t ups anding ed es t .1 these partitions the same-is rebenti upon itself 1? eaded, t f rm m o h, out r dg '14 and a, double reinforced thickness of metal-asshow-n zit-l5. These partitions are maintained in their-spaced relation by means;

of an invert d L shape n l g tud y ext n 1 :2 ac nsplat 1 w i h p ate-9 n e lyip sit ned h -lower pa pf t the it m. r in smed; ed es the-h t itiefi V kerfs 18, each kerf containing a front edge of one of the partitions 13. In this construction it will be seen that the partitions are maintained in their spaced apart relation,

and are braced in position the angled facing 16. Each partition 13 is fastened to the plate 16 by means of an angle iron 19 riveted to the under and rear, side of the plate 16, and in the angle between one face of a partition 13, and the inner face of the vertical leg of the plate 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, there are two superimposed and spaced apart bottoms or decks 20, disposed in advance of the rear wall 10, and between adjacent partitions, but it is of course to be understood that any number of these decks or bottoms may be utilized as desired. These decks are preferably of an openwork construction and ,as shown of a wire mesh consisting of longitudinally ex tending rods 21, disposed between the end partitions and transversely extending rods 22 disposed in advance of the rear wall 10, angularly disposed with reference to the longitudinal rods 21, and preferably fastened to the same by welding or other suitable means. Outlining the front of this bottom or deck is a longitudinally extending tubing 23, as shown extending parallel to the rear wall 10, which tubing is suitably mounted in and extends transversely through the several partitions 13. Likewise, it will be noted from Fig. 2 that the longitudinal rods 21 extend through the intermediary partitions 13.

The ends of the rods are inserted into apertures in the rear wall, which apertures are preferably formed in pressed cups 2 1 in the wall, and the rods are sealed therein byfilling the cups with a filler or solder, such as lead. This tubing 23 contains the outer ends 7 diameter than the rods making up the body of the deck, and is preferably of brass tubing so as to withstand and transmit to the partitions 13 the strains due to the weight on these decks.

It will be noted that the device hereinbefore described forms compartments between adjacent partitions, adjacent decks or between the top deck and the roof or the bottom deck and the floor, which compartments are usually labeled to facilitate the distribution of mail matter, and for this purpose there is rotatably mounted between adjacent partitions, and preferably between'the reinforced front edges of the same, a spindle .25, which spindle as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 has a plurality of flat facesv 2(icircumferentially considered to each of which faces may be affixed, by any suitable so that the opposite end of the spindle -miy or head30, thereby forming a means for (113.-

23, and has one of its ends suitably fixed toj the deck.20 preferably by having upturned? means, a label or other writing as maybe dew sired. In the modification shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the spindles are rotatably moun. on the studs 27 which are held in positio and extend transversely through the parti tions 13.

A suitable form of stud is shown indetaill. in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, and-comprises a shank 28 having an enlarged bearing head, 29. The shank is extended through and fits opening in the partition, and is capped the opposite side by a collar 30, forming coacting bearing head, suitably fixed to the! shank 28, the heads 29 and 30 being shown as of equal diameter and disposed on op osi h sides of the partition. It will be note that the head 29 is somewhat longer than the head 30, and that the studs are disposed alinement and arranged so that a long head projects toward a short head extending from the opposite partition. These head! are adapted to be disposed in recesses 31 ill opposite ends of the spindle 25, and are so arranged that the spindle may be moved lon gitudinallyin the direction of the head 29 so as to be contained with adeep recess 31 be disengaged from the short end of the stud mounting the spindle from. its position be; tween adjacent partitions; The spindle maintained in position in; engagement wit bot-h of the opposing studs or heads and is? also maintained in non-rotatably or difi cultly rotatable position by means of a sub stantial S shaped leaf plate spring'32, on crotch 33 of each spring overlaps the tubing;

terminus 34-engage under one of the 10 tudinalrods 21 the opposite or outer end 5; the S shaped spring 32 extendinglforwardly and horizontally beneaththe spindle 25, mi has positioned on theupper face thereof upwardly extending lip or blade 34' adapt f to engagein one of the circumferentially, disposed grooves 35 in the face of the spinf dle 25, preferably adjacent one end thereby; holding the spindle against the, tension of. the spring, as shown particularly in th modifications shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. e

As disclosed in the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the spindle is not slotted, but has plane faces, and is held in position b having one end of the spindle engaged I) the shoulder 36 formed in the forward end of the leaf spring 32, this shoulder taking the place; of the blade 34', hereinbefore do scribed." It will be understood that in order to remove the spindle 25, it is necessary) disengage the knife blade 34 from its 611' gagement with the groove 35, or to disen gagethe shoulder 36 from the end of the spindle, so that the same may be moved-"3 which channel contain between them the pressed into the groove in the nextcontigu-- ous face in the direction of rotation. It will be seen by this construction but one means is necessary'to perform the two functions of preventing the'spindle moving longitudinally and oppose accidental rotary movement of the same. 7

In regard to the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9, it is to be noted that the front edges of the partitions are outlined by vertical inserts or filling members 37,'preferably of wood. These fillers are covered by the partition which, as shown at the right of Fig. 9, is formed by wrapping themetal partition about the filler, and fastening the same to the body of the partition by means of rivets 38 or asshown to the left of Fig. 9, the filler 37 may be contained within the channel member 39, the freeinner ends of upper edge of the partition. 13, said ends and partition being connected by through rivets 40. The 'filler may be connected to the metallic covering byfront screws 41 if desired. 7

The modification disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9 is further modified from the previously described device in that there is projecting from opposite ends of the spindle 25 unequal length studs 42, which studs engage in opposing recesses 43 inadjacent partitions. These recesses, as shown in Fig. 8, are preferably outlined by flange collars 44. It will beunderstood that the spindle disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9 works in the'same manner as has been described in detail for the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in that it is merely necessary to depress the blade 84: from its engagement with the groove 35, and by moving the spindle lengthwise inv the direction. of the stud of greatest length, a distance sufficient to permit the opposite stud to be disengaged from its journal recesses, the spindle may be withdrawn for repairing and for substitut1on, and it will be noted that these spindles may readilybe installed in the mail com} partments now in use. v I WVhat we claim is 1. In a letter case, the combination of a rear Wall, spaced side partitions riveted to said walls, a plurality of angularly disposed I rods disposed between said partitions and in advance'of the rear wall and forming the deck, a longitudinally extending tube outlining the front of the deck, the rods at one end being received in said tube, and pressed cups into which the other ends of said rods. aresealed. V I 2. In a metallic letter case comprising a rear wall, spaced'side partitions rivetedto said wall, said partitions having beaded front edges and an L shaped front facing having a plurality of kerfs in one leg thereof, each kerfadapted to receive the front beaded edge of a partition: I

3. In a metallic letter case comprising a rear wall, spaced side partitions riveted to said wall, said partitions having beaded front edges and an L-shaped front facing having a plurality of kerfs in one leg" thereof, each kerf adapted to receive the front 5. In a metallic letter case, a rearwall, i spaced side partitions, an, L-sh'aped front 5 facing having .a plurality of kerfs,-each adapted to receive the front edge of a palrtition, and means securing said'facing to" the, V

partition.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of the subscribing witnesses. Y

AUGUST W. 'L. HARTBAUER. f LEVI C. SPARKS. I r Witnesses as to August W. L. Hartbauer; C. W. RUDOLPH, DONALD D. MILLIKEN, Witnesses to Levi O. Sparks:

E. J. LAneTIM, G. O. OHERBONNIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

' Washington, D. C. 

